Once Upon a Revisited Dream

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

Last night, people watched the Grammy Awards Show to witness the awkwardness of Taylor Swift, the reuniting of Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney, and the many marriages of happy homosexuals. However, while this night of Hollywood merriment commenced, CBS revealed another trailer to the long awaited Maleficent movie premiering in theaters on May 30^th, 2014. As the teaser revealed the villain, the main score of the original Sleeping Beauty movie played.

However, this isn’t the Once Upon a Dream song you grew up with.

Rather, it is a remake much like other classic Disney songs. But this redoing of Once Upon a Dream is completely and utterly brilliant. This version of the song is a nod to what we heard as children and possibly played the death out of. While it still keeps the whimsicalness that we remember, there is a darker tone added to the tune. This eeriness is included to remind everyone of the story of the villainess that is to be told. Yet this shadowy feel also evolves the classic tune into a more mature melody that resonates with Disney’s target audience for Maleficent.

Maleficent is a Disney movie and Disney movies are often directed towards children. Maleficent is not only targeted at kids, but at adult who grew up watching the original film. When they listen to this tune, not only do they reflect on themselves as children watching Sleeping Beauty, but how the story of a sleeping damsel has evolved with the times.

When Sleeping Beauty was made, everything was set to a simplistic plot for children to understand: Aurora good. Maleficent bad.  It was constructed this way for its child audience so they could comprehend it. But now, children have grown up and so has this story. This story now features Aurora, still on the good side, but she isn’t the main character as much. We now have someone who we always figured was evil, taking the spotlight, and changing the story. Maleficent alters the classic tale because we never received her side of the story. No one wanted to know about the wicked villain who placed a curse on the innocent Aurora. We just generally assumed she was evil. Now in the modern times, everyone wants to know about the reckless monster, and the cause of their actions.

Maleficent’s motives are shrouded in mystery, just like her character which is what also makes the redone Once Upon a Dream song wonderful. The song is sung with a beautiful unknown that captures our hearts and lures us in because it’s something we’re all familiar with. It’s manipulated so not only we are reminded of a childhood tune turned hauntingly enchanting, but it will give a whole new generation a new ideal of Once Upon a Dream.

What do you think of the redone Once Upon a Dream tune? Are you excited for the upcoming Maleficent movie? Feel free to leave your comments below and as always, feedback and followers are welcomed. 

School's Back in Session

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

Before I begin tonight’s post I would like to thank my followers and readers for taking the time out of their busy lives to read my work. As a writer, I greatly appreciate it and hope you continue to enjoy my blog and pass it onto your friends. If there’s anything you want to see me write about or improve on, feel free to comment or inbox me. I’d be more than happy to respond.  Enjoy tonight’s entry. :D

For many students, the winter break has ended and the new semester has begun. By now, college students have moved back into their dorms and reunited with their friends over the holiday filled vacation. Other students have returned to hard desk chairs and an empty board before them, just waiting to be written on. However, while we are taught the basics and details, there are just some things that schools don’t teach us that we need in life. Here are a few of those things.

4. Home Economics

I put this one last because there are some schools that actually teach this. For me, home economics was a club in middle school. I regret not attending all the meetings because I usually forgot about them or had to study. But home economics include how to properly do laundry, how to cook something other than toast, basic car maintenance, how to sew, and other lessons that should be taught in a classroom, not in a club meeting.

3. Tipping

Tipping at a restaurant, valet, and other places are just one of the little lessons school never taught us. While there are apps that help us give the proper tip, there are those who aren't as tech savvy as most of this generation. There are even tons of web sites devoted to telling you how much you should tip. But it comes down to two things: your overall opinion of the service that was performed (moving, waitressing, etc.) and simple percentages.  

2. Mortgages and Other Payments

At some point in your life, you will rent an apartment and eventually move into your own home. Either way, there will be payments due. Some of these payments include rentals, mortgages, gas bills, electric bills, and a ton of other money draining taxes. But of course in life, you will also accumulate credit cards and a car (or more) which you will also need to pay off. Some of you may even have school loans or loans from other places, which sooner or later you’ll have to get rid of. Regretfully, school doesn't teach you how to pay off your credit cards, loans, mortgages, car insurance, and taxes.

1. Tax Returns

A few days ago I received the required paperwork for my tax returns. To be honest with you readers, I looked at the papers and called my dad in because I was completely and utterly confused.  This isn’t to say I can’t read or write (believe me, I read and write like a sailor curses) but the tax return materials are mind boggling. There are so many forms, sections, questions, fill in spaces, it’s insane. I know you’re supposed to learn how to do these things on your own, but it would be better for school to teach us how to properly fill everything out. That way we won’t stare at the pages like they’re written in some secret, government language and will be able to understand what to do.

What is the one thing you wish they taught you in school? Feel free to comment and as always feedback and followers are welcomed. 

Lights, Camera, 2014

Greetings everyone and as promised, here is Monday’s entry of The Magical Mystery Blog.

Despite Hollywood’s descent into unoriginal movie ideas, 2014 looks like an exciting year for movies and film ideas. While this seems like another year filled of retold fantasy stories, a few interesting ideas have managed to slip through the cracks. Here are just some glimpses into movies debuting this year and have attracted tons of attention.

-Maleficent

A few days ago the second trailer for Maleficent was released. This movie focuses on the villain of the iconic Sleeping Beauty story and tells the back story of the horned sorceress. In this teaser we see that at some point, Aurora and Maleficent meet and engage in multiple conversations. In one specific meeting, Maleficent informs the young beauty of an evil that not even she cannot protect her from. Notice the word in that sentence is ‘protect’ – thus giving a new idea to the audience that maybe Maleficent isn't vile, but rather another person defending Aurora much like her father and the fairies.

Throughout the trailer we see that the animated classic is the basis of Maleficent’s history. We see that the castle is kept nearly to the same design as are most of the characters. However, people are already bashing Elle Fanning for being Aurora mostly due to her voice and appearance. I believe that Elle is a fantastic choice because in the original story of Sleeping Beauty, she was fifteen to sixteen. Elle so happens to fit the same age as Aurora and embodies the youthful nature of the princess. This movie is set to hit theaters on May 30th. 

-The Lego Movie

The Lego Movie is just as what the title reads: an entire movie dealing with Legos. Not only are the Legos generic little yellow men and women, but in this film there’s Lego Batman, Abraham Lincoln, and even God (voiced by Morgan Freeman of course). The plot focuses on one average Lego man who stumbles onto something greater and discovers that he plays a rather large part of the Lego world. Although this movie is intended for children, chances are adults and geeks will flock to the theaters on February 7th to see their favorite childhood pastime come to life.

-Guardians of the Galaxy

This movie has received the most hype from Marvel fanatics everywhere. It has also attracted some Whovians due to the fact that Karen Gillan (Amy Pond) will star in this as well. The plot centers around Peter Quill, a man who happens to find himself caught in the war filled cosmos of the Marvelverse.   By his side are the Guardians of the Galaxy including a genetically engineered raccoon, a tree alien of royal descent, a revived human turned killing machine, and a powerful assassin.  Together they take on Nebula, Ronan the Accuser, and the ultimate villain, Thanos. Thanos, for you Marvel lovers, appeared at the end of the first Avengers movie. It’s rumored that the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy may or may not fuse at some point.  If they did, then it would be one colossal movie that would be out of this world. Guardians of the Galaxy will premiere on August 1st. 

-Dumb and Dumber To

Dumb and Dumber was a classic, laugh until your sides hurt comedy featuring Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels.  In this sequel, they reunite twenty years later to find one of their children. While the plot sounds all right, the idea of them having families and children raises so many questions. Who would ever fall for them, how was their family life, did they change to fit the role of a father? So many questions, so many days to go until it hits theaters on November 14th.

What movie are you looking forward to? Feel free to comment and as always, feedback and followers are welcomed. 

I Apologize.

There will be no blog tonight. I apologize but I’ve been neglecting my health due to work and my current situations. I’ve been stressed and sleeping wrongly. Yes, I know it’s 2:48 am here but it’s because I cannot sleep. I’ve got a million thoughts in my head and I don’t know how to stop them all. They’re like trains that never stop for fuel because the fuel is always supplied. 

I really need to get some sleep, among some other things. My brain can’t even concentrate on the topic I’m writing about even though the sources are right in front of me. To be frank, I haven’t slept properly for four months not because I’m a night owl, but rather or something on a more deep and personal matter. Well, matters I should say.

I promise you there will be a blog entry Monday. But tonight I just really need to try and get some rest. Once again, I offer my sincerest apologies. 

Gimmie Some Lovin

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

The Blues Brothers is by far my most coveted, eighties flick. It starts off in Chicago with Elwood Blues reuniting with his on parole brother, Jake Blues. From there, the two are on a mission from God to save the orphanage where they grew up at.

I fell in love with this movie during my high school years because I was unfazed with the present and what it had to offer. Plus, I wasn't the typical teenager. I’ll admit I was different. I got along with the teachers more so than I did other students, I liked things from the past (antiques, movies, music, actors, etc.), and I found the past more interesting than the present.

This film won my heart over in an instant, causing me to complete my first successful cosplay as Elwood Blues, to explore the eighties, and to discover something about myself. Below are the reasons why I love The Blues Brothers.

5. Elwood Blues

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LOOK AT THIS MAN. LOOK AT HIM. Tall, dark, handsome, and slender as a tooth pick. Every girl’s crazy bout a sharp dressed man and Elwood is no exception. He’s quiet, soft spoken yet very clever and resourceful. His driving skills are insane and gifted by the good grace of God, his voice is as deep as the ocean floor and gorgeous, and he’s fantastic.

4. The Music

This movie is basically a musical and with it, there are many melodic acts. These acts feature extremely famous musicians such as Ray Charles, Cab Calloway (the inspiration for Oogie Boogie from The Nightmare Before Christmas), James Brown, and even the Queen of Soul herself, Aretha Franklin. This musical is just busting with great songs, choreography, and celebrities.

3. The Stories

Not only is the plot of this movie excellent but the behind the scenes stories are just as great. One of the more famous stories is that John Belushi (Jake Blues) disappeared from the set. No one knew where he was and so they drove around the area looking for him. Dan Aykroyd (Elwood Blues) went to every house in the neighborhood and asked if anyone had seen John. Finally, he reached one house and the residents said that John was at their residence. The owners led Dan inside to which he found John asleep on their couch. Other stories include them losing their sunglasses and fedoras often and Cab Calloway refusing to cooperate with the cast.

2. The Chemistry

Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi were the heart and soul of this movie. Their acting throughout this movie was phenomenal, as though they were brothers in real life. What’s even greater about these actors is that they not only gelled well on set, but off set as well. They were the best of friends in real life, always helping each other out, and even writing a biography for their characters of this movie. The biography wasn't a simple paragraph either. It was a full fledged book on every single thing Jake and Elwood did in their lives, like visiting multiple brothels, growing up in the orphanage, and other events. Dan and John’s experiences and bonds helped them to create great personas not only in the movie, but in reality as well.

1. What it Taught Me

The Blues Brothers taught me something that has helped me to this day. It’s a lesson that at some point everyone, if not most people, learn in their lives and it’s that it’s okay to be different. It’s okay to not go out every Friday and party because you’re not a social butterfly. It’s all right if you want to try new things and embrace them wholeheartedly. It’s perfectly fine if you want to be someone else for a while in an attempt to understand yourself better.

If you've never seen this movie, I seriously recommend watching it. It’s a classic movie full of laughter, great acting, and wonderful music.

For those who have seen this movie, what did you enjoy the most about it? Feel free to comment and as always, feedback and followers are welcomed.

Cumberbatch Captures Literature Beautifully

Greetings everyone and welcome to a late night Friday version of The Magical Mystery Blog.

This week I revisited some of my favorite YouTube videos involving Benedict Cumberbatch. I’m not talking about the scene where he rescued Irene Adler or his filming of Star Trek, but rather his literary videos.

As a literature lover, I’m drawn to classic works such as Kubla Khan, Metamorphosis, Macbeth, and many others. Cumberbatch has intensified my admiration by reading some pieces of classic literature. While some of you may pass this off or even question how this is even possible, I urge you to listen to some of his audio readings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrAGCJJkNbE – Benedict Cumberbatch reads John Keats’ Ode to a Nightingale

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YM8LAbuateI – Benedict Cumberbatch reads Shakespeare’s ‘The Seven Stages of Man’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7mEV9VUgtQ – Benedict Cumberbatch reads Kubla Khan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvz-_vky7mM – Benedict Cumberbatch reads a section of Casanova (prepare your imaginations)

I’m extremely particular with how literature is read. The person must embody the piece using the right tone, the perfect pace, the correct (if any) emphasis, and other factors. Otherwise, they butcher it. But Cumberbatch reads each work with a different voice, taking on the persona of the written word, and dealing with it carefully, bringing out their uniqueness.   

His reading of John Keats’ Ode to a Nightingale is like a tranquil river. So smooth, it penetrates the soul and warms it like fire. With every uttered word, the flames spread throughout the body and brain, and envelope the senses in warmth.  At times, his voice transforms into a soft whisper, filled with a longing for something familiar, and exhausted from reciting these words many times before.

This differs from his reading of Shakespeare’s ‘The Seven Stages of Man’ piece where his voice is bold, as though making a factual observation of the life of man.  He speaks as though he is telling the truths of life, of how we evolve as the parts noted in the section. His voice contributes to the flow of the work, as though his voice itself is growing with every stage of man. His voice is serious at first but winds its way down to something casual, as though man has experienced everything in his life, and is understandable and knowledgeable of everything.

What piece of literature would you love to hear Benedict Cumberbatch read? Feel free to comment and as always, feedback and followers are welcomed.

Sherlock: Crazy. Sexy. Beautiful.

Hello everyone and welcome to yet another Monday at The Magical Mystery Blog.

Last Sunday, the third season of Sherlock premiered in the UK. Within hours, the Internet was bombarded with gifs of lovable characters from the show, fantastic quotes from the writers and actors, and gifs of every single thing that happened in the premiere.  Sadly, while I do not live in the UK, I was able to locate a video of the premiere entitled The Empty Hearse.

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WARNING: IF YOU DO NOT WANT SPOILERS, DO NOT READ ON.  BUT KNOW THIS: SHERLOCK SEASON THREE WILL PREMIERE IN THE UNITED STATES ON JANUARY 19^TH, 2014 AT 10PM ON PBS.

This premiere could be summed up in three words: Crazy. Sexy. Beautiful.

The amount of insanity in this show has induced fans on a high that cannot be obtainable by any drug. With every fight, rescue, and perilous event this premiere displays, the insanity seems to grow. It’s enticing and shatters the mind with every passing second, leading to a climax that bursts your brain entirely. But just when you think it’s over and your mind starts to piece itself back together, another twist of craziness comes forth, and breaks your brain once more. It’s a never ending game for Sherlock and it is dangerous as it is crazy.

Benedict Cumberbatch is the core sexiness of the show, making fans cheer with glee at his inevitable return. Yet what’s even sexier than the man in the trench is the mind palace he frequents to. It’s deep and wrought with intelligence and information that only he seems to possess. It’s complex, like a rubix cube, and oh so inviting like an adventure.  Of course there are other scenes worthy of sexiness, like how Moriarty and Sherlock almost kissed, Sherlock giving a rather epic kiss to Molly, and a few other moments.

This show is beautiful with its combination the actors, the writing, the situations the characters are thrown into, the characters, and the witty, funny humor that the show radiates. Like a rose emitting a perfume so attractive and alluring, Sherlock roots viewers to the source and keeps them there, intoxicating them with lavish ideas, developed plot, and constructed characters.

Sherlock season three will premiere in the United States on January 19^th, 2014 at 10 pm on PBS.

What do you love about Sherlock? Feel free to leave your comments below and as always, feedback and followers are welcomed.

Gaming in the New Year

Thank God it’s Friday here at The Magical Mystery Blog.

A new year is upon us to accomplish many things, do activities we always wanted to do, and make our lives as interesting as possible. Yesterday I managed to achieve something I've wanted to do since Christmas Day: defeat Pokemon Y. Pokemon Y is the latest game of the Pokemon franchise and hosts the sixth generation of Pokemon. This new generation includes Pokemon you grew up with as well as seventy new creatures which is a total of over 700 pocket monsters to capture, train, and play with.

I honestly wanted this game for nostalgia, the incredible graphics, the fantastic gameplay, and to see how my favorite childhood game has advanced over the years. This game did not disappoint me on any of those levels and I was satisfied through and through. Here are a few things I specifically love about Pokemon Y.

5) Music

At first, the music for this was all right. It was your typical battle jingle and victory music. But as you face the gym leaders, Team Flare, and the Elite Four, the themes transcend and evolve into excellent tunes. From what I’ve seen and heard, tons of fans seem to enjoy Lysandre’s battle theme the best. Frankly, I can see why: it’s a mix of wayward insanity, jarring evil, and badassery.  As for myself, I enjoy the Champion’s combat music because it pumps you up for the battle to end all battles, it beckons you to strive towards victory, and it fits the Champion’s character perfectly.

4) Mega Evolution

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Behold the ultimate power of Blastoise with three cannons!

One of the most anticipated features of this game prior to its release was mega evolution. This concept is given to only a few select Pokemon in which they hold a stone that temporarily enhances them. In this advancement, they have the power of a t-rex tearing through an enormous cube made of titanium bricks and bacon (which is epically powerful). They also get a new look so Blastoise becomes Mega Blastoise, Gardevoir becomes Mega Gardevoir, and so on.  As a long awaited feature of the game, it made me feel like I had the power of the Pokeworld in my hands and nothing could stop it.

3) Pokemon Amie

In the Pokemon movies and shows we see trainers interacting with their Pokemon outside combat. As a child, we probably wished for something like this to happen to us. To be able to play with a Vulpix or surf on the back of a Lapras, it would have been excellent. Some of us to this day still wish for that fantasy to become a reality. In Pokemon X and Y, we are presented with Pokemon Amie, a program that allows us to play with our Pokemon. The more you play with your Pokemon, the more they will interact with you in combat. This is the closest we have ever gotten to fulfilling our childhood wishes and it’s heartwarming. We get to pet our Pokemon, feed them, and even play mini games with them.  We are given the opportunity to see our Pokemon smile and feed them as they cry in content.  What’s even better is if you have Lapras use Surf, you will actually ride a Lapras on the water, and not some cluster of pixels.

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Surfing on Lapras before....(Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire)

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Surfing and fishing on Lapras after....(Pokemon X/Y)

2) The Graphics

These aren't your 1996 graphics where everything was one primary color in variant shades. Pokemon’s graphics changed with the years and for their new game, they took no chances. They spent hours creating 3D models for each Pokemon and making them move. On top of that, the settings they had to design for this game took days, hours, minutes, and nanoseconds. The results are utterly beautiful and by far, some of the best graphics I've seen. 

1) The Memories

As I've mentioned before, I bought this game for nostalgia. I’m a nostalgic and sentimental person even though I know it’s unhealthy to live in the past and that life only goes forward.  While I do move on with life, there are just some things that never leave me. One of those things happens to be Pokemon. The games always intrigued me because they drew me in, allowed me to combat without the sight of blood or be extremely violent, and gave me some wonderful memories. When I play Pokemon Y, I’m reminded of all the reasons why I fell in love with Pokemon.

How do you feel about the new Pokemon X/Y game? Love it? Hate it? Would never play it? Feel free to leave your thoughts below and as always, feedback and followers are welcomed.

Also if you like what you see here and want to get to know me better, check out my tumblr at #vannillafudge or this link: http://vannillafudge.tumblr.com/.